Snoopy
Snoopy is one of the main characters of the Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz. He is owned and cared for by Charlie Brown, although at times it is not clear who is in charge. Snoopy is blessed with a rich, Walter Mitty-like fantasy life. featured in the logo used by Google for Thanksgiving 2009.]] Character Snoopy first appeared in the October 4, 1950 strip. Originally, he was more like a regular dog, however, he gradually became much more imaginative. This began with impersonations of animals and other characters in the strip, but soon expanded to such characterizations as a lawyer, a writer, a cool college student ("Joe Cool"), and, most famously, a World War I flying ace, trying to snuff out the famous Red Baron (his doghouse serving as a surrogate Sopwith Camel). Snoopy also began walking on his hind legs, sleeping on top of his doghouse, and even playing shortstop on Charlie Brown's baseball team. The interior of Snoopy's doghouse also began to be described (but never seen in the comics) as far larger and more elaborate than its exterior would suggest (like Doctor Who's TARDIS). Snoopy kept books, a TV, a phonograph, a pool table, and a Van Gogh painting in his house, losing them when his house burned down (in a story arc starting from the September 19, 1966 strip). Charlie Brown rebuilt it, adding a staircase and replacing the Van Gogh with an Andrew Wyeth. Snoopy has some little bird friends, the most loyal of which is Woodstock. Snoopy also has seven siblings, Spike, Belle, Marbles, Olaf, Andy, and two others named in the special "Snoopy's Reunion" as Molly and Rover. These eight puppies were born at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm. Snoopy has recalled his family going to the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm's chapel every day, and being part of a fifty-beagle choir. He also taught Sunday school there, a fact Charlie Brown sometimes forgets. Snoopy loves root beer and pizza, hates coconut candy, gets claustrophobia in tall weeds, and is deathly afraid of icicles dangling over his doghouse. One of his hobbies is reading Leo Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace at the rate of "a word a day". Snoopy also has the uncanny ability to play fetch with soap bubbles, and can hear someone eating marshmallows or cookies at a distance, or even peeling a banana. Snoopy is also capable of disappearing, like the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, as shown in an extended strip, whenever Charlie Brown reads the book to him. ("Grins are easy. Noses are hard. Ears are almost impossible."). Two things Snoopy dislikes are listening to balloons being squeezed and cats. According to the movie, Snoopy Come Home, at an early age, Snoopy was taken in by a girl named Lila, but when she was unable to keep him, he was returned to the farm, where Charlie Brown picked him up. This fact came to light when Lila was in the hospital and wrote to Snoopy, asking him to come and visit her. Linus did some rescarch and learned of this, sharing his information with Charlie Brown when Snoopy returned. Snoopy appears to like Charlie Brown. Once when Charlie Brown came home from camp, Snoopy made a welcome home banner and was wating outside Charlie Brown's house with cake. However, the banner said "Welcome home, Round-headed Kid." Snoopy often referred to Charlie Brown as "the Round-Headed Kid" not out of spite, but simply because he could not remember his name. In the Peanuts animated television specials, the voice of Snoopy was provided by Bill Melendez. Developement In the very early years of peanuts, Snoopy acted like a regular dog, but gradually, became more like a human than a dog. Snoopy was a silent character for the first two years of his existence, but on May 27, 1952 he verbalized his thoughts to readers for the first time in a thought balloon. Schulz once said that the best idea he ever had in the strip was to move Snoopy from inside his doghouse to the rooftop. Preceding that, there was a gradual evolution of the character, from something like an actual dog to an anthropomorphic character, more like typical cartoon animals. Snoopy did many impressions. His earliest impession (A bird) was on Augest 9th, 1951. Starting November 17th 1955, his impressions really began. He did impressions of Violet, a pelican, Lucy, a moose, Beethoven and Mickey Mouse. He would also pretend to be other animals, including a snake, rhinoceros, lion, and vulture. But his eccentricities did not stop there. On April 12th 1957, Snoopy first appeared on Charlie brown's baseball team, as the shortstop. This was a running gag that was shown in the longrun of Peanuts. On June 28, 1957, Snoopy walked on his two hind legs, like a human, for the first time. This soon became so commonplace as to be almost unnoticeable. Snoopyalso became a beagle scout Fantasy Life Snoopy has a very big fantasy life. He has many alter egos. His most famous one is The World War I Flying Ace. When assuming this personality, Snoopy would don goggles, a flying helmet and a scarf and climb on top of his doghouse, which he claimed was a Sopwith Camel. The Red Baron, his enemy, like other adult figures in Peanuts, was never drawn in a strip; his presence was indicated through the bullet holes that would riddle the doghouse, and Snoopy's fist-shaking and cries of "Curse you Red Baron" while his "Sopwith Camel" doghouse plummeted to earth trailing smoke. Snoopy has many other alter egos. For instance "Joe Cool", as he put on sunglasses and leaned against the wall doing nothing. Snoopy has also been a famous writer, a bow-tie wearing attorney (who once defended Peter Rabbit), a hockey player, an Olympic figure skater (who used to skate with Peggy Fleming before he became "big time"); a world famous grocery checkout clerk who operated from the top of his dog house in an apron. He even apaeared as an astronaut, and claims to be the first beagle on the moon. External Link * [http://comics.com/peanuts/1950-10-04 Snoopy's first appearance in Peanuts from October 4, 1950.] Category:Characters